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| Adam Labecki (Pearce photo) |
There were no obstacles to step over when Adam Labecki crossed the stage of the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium to accept his degree on Saturday. For once,聽it was an obstacle-free journey.
He was an outcast in junior high school, dubbed 脪Beethoven鈥� for his long hair and eccentricities. High school wasn脮t fun either and he dropped out 脩 脪I just couldn脮t stand to be there,鈥� he says with a shrug of his shoulders.
But he yearned to learn. Not old enough or away from high school long enough to be a considered a mature student, Labecki made a special appeal to be let in. A committee was convened and Labecki was admitted to the University of King脮s College.
The way Labecki figures it, if he was in charge, he wouldn脮t have let a kid like him in and appreciates the chance he was given. 脪My goodness 脩 the arrogance,鈥� he says, a rueful smile pulling at his lips. 脪Let脮s just say I had to learn discipline. I had to rein in my creativity in a constructive way.鈥�
He finished his first degree, a BA majoring in Philosophy and Contemporary Studies, in 2001. He should have been studying Classics, he says, having discovered an affinity for the ancient philosophers, but the language requirement kept him away. So for a year-and-a-half, he buckled down and learned Latin and Greek before embarking on the master脮s degree in 2004.
脪It took me awhile to find out where I wanted to be,鈥� he says. 脪But at Dalhousie, I found what I wanted to study and the people I need to work with脡 I was encouraged very strongly through the whole process.鈥�